Vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner comprises a main body, a dust container installed to the main body, and a handle formed at an outer periphery of the dust container and having a fastening part to allow the dust container to be detachably fastened to the main body. The fastening part is formed to the handle of the dust container such that the dust container is easily mounted in or separated from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, and cannot be unintentionally separated from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, thereby preventing a floor from being soiled by contaminants due to an accidental opening of the dust container, and thus enhancing convenience of a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and, more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner, which comprises a main body, a dust container installed in the main body, and a handle formed at an outer periphery of the dust container and having a fastening part formed thereto to fasten the dust container to the main body such that, when the dust container is mounted to the main body, it cannot be unintentionally separated from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, thereby preventing a floor from being soiled by contaminants due to an accidental opening of the dust container, and thus enhancing convenience of a user.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, vacuum cleaners suck dust and other foreign substances scattered on floors, walls, small gaps and the like in a room via a suction force by rotation of a motor mounted in a main body, and then collect the dust and the other foreign substances using a dust container positioned therein while allowing air to be discharged to an outside.

According to dust collection manners, the vacuum cleaners can be classified into a bag type vacuum cleaner which employs a dust bag, and a bagless type vacuum cleaner which collects dust in a dust container without using the dust bag, and then empties the dust container filled with the dust and other foreign substances.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view schematically illustrating a conventional bagless type vacuum cleaner, and FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional bagless type vacuum cleaner comprises a main body case 11, a vacuum motor (not shown) positioned within the main body case 11, a suction nozzle 13 to suck dust and other foreign substances scattered on a floor using a suction force generated from the motor, a dust container 20 to collect the dust and the like sucked through the suction nozzle 13, and air outlets 12 through which air having passed the dust container 20 is discharged to the outside.

The vacuum cleaner further comprises an electric wire 50 through which power is supplied to the motor, an extension pipe 60 used for cleaning spaces such as small gaps and the like other than the floor, and a flexible hose 40 coupled to the extension pipe 60.

Description will be made of operation of the vacuum cleaner hereinafter. At first, when power is applied to the motor through the electric wire 50, the motor within the main body case 11 rotates and generates a suction force.

Then, dust and other foreign substances are sucked along with air through the suction nozzle 13, and collected in the dust container 20 while the air is discharged to the outside through the air outlets 12 after passing the dust container 20.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the vacuum cleaner and the dust container mounted therein.

As shown in FIG. 3, the dust container of the conventional bagless type vacuum cleaner has a handle 30 formed at an outer periphery of the dust container 20 such that a user grips the dust container 20 therewith.

As cleaning is performed, dust and other foreign substances are accumulated in the dust container 20. Thus, for the case where the dust container 20 is installed in a drawer type manner to a main body 10 without any securing device, the dust container 20 can be accidentally separated from the main body 10, and fall on the floor, causing the dust and other foreign substances to pour out from the dust container 20, and making the floor dirty. Accordingly, there is a need of an improved vacuum cleaner which overcomes this problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problem of the conventional vacuum cleaner, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum cleaner, which comprises a fastening part formed to a handle of a dust container such that the dust container cannot be unintentionally separated from a main body of the vacuum cleaner, thereby preventing a floor from being soiled by contaminants such as dust and other foreign substances due to an accidental opening of the dust container.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a vacuum cleaner, comprising: a main body; a dust container installed to the main body; and a handle formed at an outer periphery of the dust container, and having a fastening part by which the dust container is detachably fastened to the main body.

Preferably, the fastening part comprises a lever formed inside the handle, and a latch member capable of moving up and down through left and right movements of the lever, the main body being formed under an upper surface thereof with a latch groove corresponding to the latch member.

More preferably, the latch member has a slanted surface formed at an upper end to allow easy fastening of the dust container to the main body.

More preferably, the latch member is provided at a lower end with a resilient member to return the latch member to its original position.

More preferably, the lever is provided at a rear side with a resilient member to return the latch member to its original position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view schematically illustrating a conventional bagless type vacuum cleaner;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1, and a dust container mounted therein;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a bagless type vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, and a dust container mounted therein;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 4, and the dust container mounted therein; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 5 in which a resilient member is installed in a modified location, and the dust container mounted therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a bagless type vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, and a dust container mounted therein, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 4, and the dust container mounted therein, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 5 in which a resilient member is installed in a modified location, and the dust container mounted therein.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention comprises a main body 10 and a dust container 20 installed within the main body 10.

The main body 10 comprises a main body case 11, a vacuum motor (not shown) positioned within the main body case 11, a suction nozzle 13 to suck dust and other foreign substances scattered on a floor using a suction force from the motor, a dust container 20 to collect the dust sucked through the suction nozzle 13, and air outlets 12 through which air is discharged to the outside.

The main body case 11 is formed under an upper surface thereof with a latch groove 38, corresponding to a latch member 33 of a handle 30 described below, such that, when the dust container 20 is mounted to the main body 10, it can be fastened thereto by the latch groove and the latch member.

The dust container 20 is mounted in the main body 10 so as to collect dust and foreign substances sucked through the suction nozzle 13 therein. Then, when the dust container 20 is filled with the dust and foreign substances, it is taken out from the main body 10, and emptied of the dust and foreign substances.

The handle 30 is formed at an outer periphery of the dust container 20 such that the dust container 20 can be easily mounted into or separated from the main body 10 with the handle.

The handle 30 is formed with the fastening part 31 by which the dust container 20 can be detachably fastened to the main body 10.

The fastening part, 31 comprises a lever 32, a latch member 33, and a spring 34.

The lever 32 is hingably coupled to an inner side of the handle 30 by a rotational shaft 35.

One side of the lever 32 is formed with a plurality of concaves to prevent slippage of user's hand when pulling the lever 32, and the other side of the lever 32 is coupled to the latch member 33 via a hinge part 36.

One end of the latch member 33 is coupled to the lever 32 via the hinge part 36, and the other end of the latch member 33 is formed with a slanted surface facing the main body 10 such that, when mounting the dust container 20 into the main body 10, the dust container 20 can be spontaneously mounted therein only by pushing the dust container 20 into the main body 10 without pulling the lever 32.

The spring 34 is installed at a lower end of the latch member 33 where the latch member 33 is coupled to the lever 32, and serves to return the latch member 33 to its original location when external force is not applied to the lever 33.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the spring 34 is installed between a rear side of the lever 32 and the inner side of the handle 30 in order to return the latch member 33 to its original location when the external force is not applied to the lever 33.

The handle 50 is further formed with a guide 37 surrounding the latch member 33 to guide a vertical movement of the latch member 33 without rocking.

The hinge part 36 is formed with a longitudinally elongated hinge hole to allow the latch member 33 to be vertically moved by hinge movement of the lever 32.

Operation of the fastening part 31 of the handle 30 constructed as above will be described hereinafter.

In the case of taking out the dust container 20 from the main body 10 in order to empty the dust container 20 filled with dust and foreign substances, first, a user pulls the lever 32. Then, the lever 32 is rotated around the rotational shaft 35, which causes the latch member 33 connected to one side of the lever 32 via the hinge part 36 to move downwardly, whereby the upper end of the latch member 33 inserted into the latch groove 38 emerges from the latch groove 38, and releases the fastening part 31 from the main body 20, thereby allowing the dust container 20 to be separated from the main body 10.

On the other hand, in the case of mounting the dust container 20 in the main body 10, first, the user pushes the dust container 20 into the main body 10 without pulling the lever 32. Then, since the upper end of the latch member 33 is inclined, the latch member 33 is moved downward by means of the slanted surface of the latch member 33 only by pushing the dust container 20 into the main body 10 without any other action. Thereafter, when the latch member 33 reaches the latch groove 38, the latch member 33 returns to its original location by a restoring force of the spring 34 positioned at the lower side of the latch member 33, and is inserted into the latch groove 38, whereby the dust container 20 is mounted and fastened to the main body 10.

Accordingly, the dust container 20 is fixedly fastened to the main body, and is prevented from being separated therefrom.

According to the present invention, the fastening part is formed to the handle of the dust container such that the dust container is easily mounted into or separated from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, and such that, when the dust container is mounted in the main body, it cannot be unintentionally separated from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, thereby preventing a floor from being soiled by contaminants due to an accidental opening of the dust container, and thus enhancing convenience of a user.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. 

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising: a main body; a dust container installed to the main body; and a handle formed at an outer periphery of the dust container, and having a fastening part by which the dust container is detachably fastened to the main body.
 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the fastening part comprises a lever formed inside the handle, and a latch member capable of moving up and down through left and right movements of the lever, the main body being formed under an upper surface thereof with a latch groove corresponding to the latch member.
 3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the latch member has a slanted surface formed at an upper end to allow easy fastening of the dust container to the main body.
 4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the latch member is provided at a lower end with a resilient member to return the latch member to its original position.
 5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the lever is provided at a rear side with a resilient member to return the latch member to its original position. 